Thebest foldable phonesare expensive, with theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5costing a whopping $1,800. If you don’t want an open book-style foldable, there is also theGalaxy Z Flip 5. It is priced much more reasonably at $1,000, but you don’t get a big folding screen like on the Fold. Motorola launched the impressive flip-foldableMoto Razr (2023)for $600 this year, showing that folding phones don’t necessarily have to be expensive. If you were hoping that Samsung might follow suit next year, prepare for disappointment.
A recentTrendForce reportbased on supply chain sources claimed that Samsung plans to launch a mid-range foldable next year. Adding fuel to this fire was leaker@Tech_Reve, who said the Korean giant’s budget foldable could be priced aggressively at $400-$500.
Sadly, that won’t happen, with a Samsung spokesperson shooting down such rumors. In its statement toKorea JoongAng Daily, the company said, “We don’t plan to manufacture foldable smartphones that are priced in the midrange, and the latest rumors are groundless.”
While Samsung explicitly mentions not to expect a mid-range folding phone, the company could offer better specs on its premium foldables to deliver better value for money. This could be more important for the company than launching a budget folding phone.
Samsung has been losing share in the high-end segment to Apple. Its premium foldable phones have allowed it to cater to a niche but growing segment of ultra-premium consumers. The Korean giant will not want to dilute that user base by launching a budget foldable, even though the move might help boost its market share. Instead, it should focus on improving its folding phones to stay ahead of the competition.
Despite being a leader in the foldable segment, Samsung seems to have lost its technological lead to Chinese companies in recent years. Honor, OnePlus, Huawei, and Xiaomi have all launched book-style foldables, which trump the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in one aspect or another. In particular, the recently launchedOnePlus Openimpressed us with its specs, performance, features, and build quality. More importantly, it delivered all this at a better value for money than Samsung’s flagship foldable.
Despite feedback from users about the cramped cover display on the Fold series over the years, Samsung has done little to fix the problem. This could change in 2024, with rumors indicating theGalaxy Z Fold 6 might introduce a new form factorfeaturing a wider outer screen. Coupled with theAI features that Samsung plans to launch with the Galaxy S24, which should also be a part of the Fold 6, the company could be better poised to handle the growing competition in the foldable space next year.
